At a glance

Your chance to

At a glance

6 nights hotels, 1 night in the Ice Hotel.

Travel by minibus and cable-car.

Leisurely trip.

Exploring Transylvania in winter is like stepping into the pages of a story-book in Romania

The air is crisp and fresh, the sky is a deep azure and the surrounding fields glitter with a fresh coat of brilliantly white snow. The towering peaks of the Carpathian Mountains mark the backdrop for this fairy-tale adventure into one of Europe’s most enchanted regions where horse-drawn carts make their way through woodlands and moors to gothic castles and Saxon villages. We explore Transylvania’s wintery charms, history and folklore, visit Christmas markets (in December) and spend a night at the Ice Hotel as we travel into the pages of a storybook.

Itinerary

Show detailed itinerary

1Day 1Start Bucharest

Those on the group flights will arrive in the afternoon in Bucharest. Land only clients can arrive any time today.See more images and videos

2Day 2Bucharest city tour

This morning we visit Bucharest, Romania’s capital city. With its tree-lined boulevards, belle époque architecture and Arc-de-Triomphe, the city has often been likened to Paris. We visit some of the main sites including the colossal People’s Palace. Now housing the parliament, this palace was built in the 1970s by Nicolae Ceausescu and is the 2nd largest administrative building in the world, after the Pentagon. The palace’s 12 floors, 1,100 rooms, 328-feet long lobby and four underground levels (including an enormous nuclear bunker), were built by an army of 20,000 workers and 700 architects.
We enjoy a traditional lunch before heading out of the metropolis towards Transylvania and the quaint town of Sibiu.See more images and videos

3Day 3Visit Sibiu and Sibiel

When, in the 12th Century, the Saxons came to Transylvania, they built seven walled citadels. Sibiu was the largest and wealthiest of these and its old town retains some of the grandeur of those days when rich and powerful guilds dominated regional trade. Steep-roofed 17th Century buildings with gable overhangs flank narrow streets which lead into vast church-dominated open squares. The old town is surrounded by imposing medieval walls and protected by 39 towers and four bastions, some overlooking the River Cibin.
We spend the morning exploring this Saxon gem before going to nearby Sibiel to experience Transylvania’s rural heart.
Sibiel is a shepherd’s village where people still live to the ancient rhythms of nature. We visit the Icon Museum with its impressive collection of icons in the tradition of reverse glass-painting. If time allows we can go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride and enjoy a traditional shepherd’s dinner at a local family.
We return to Sibiu for the night.See more images and videos

4Day 4Medias and Sighisoara

The next stop on our atmospheric journey through Transylvania is the UNESCO World Heritage site city of Sighisoara. Another Saxon town founded in the 12th Century, Sighisoara is one of Europe’s most beautiful and best preserved medieval cities with much of the current layout and architecture dating back to the 16th Century. Wandering the cobbled streets past ornate churches and burgher houses in the crisp winter air fills one with a sense of magic straight out of a story book to rival old Prague or Vienna. It is also believed that this is the birthplace of the infamous Vald the Impaler, AKA Vlad Dracula, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s gothic tale of vampires.
On the way to Sighisoara we’ll stop at a vineyard estate to sample some of the local wines. Less known that some other wine-producing countries, Romania has a long tradition in wine-making and is being increasingly recognised for the quality of its produce.See more images and videos

5Day 5Viscri, Sambata Monastery and Ice Hotel

We continue our journey through Transylvania as we head to the village of Viscri, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a part of the world lost in time to an era before large-scale farming. The bucolic charm and serenity has enchanted many visitors, including the Prince of Wales who first came here in 1998 and now owns houses in Viscri and neighbouring villages and returns at least once a year.
We visit the village with its fortified church, experience the simplicity of village life and enjoy a traditional lunch at a farmer’s house.
From here we continue towards the impressive orthodox monastery of Sambata in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains before heading up the mountains towards Lake Balea.
The road to Lake Balea takes us on part of the Transfagarasaen Road. In the 1970s, Nicolae Ceausescu wanted to ensure that the military could cross the southern Carpathian Mountains quickly in case the Soviet Union decided to invade. His solution was to build the Transfagarasean Road. Ceausescu’s Folly, as the road has come to be known was built at a high cost, both financially and in human lives. The result, a twisting and turning road crossing a hauntingly beautiful wilderness region which Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, claimed was the most beautiful road in the world. Snow, however, forces the closure of the road for about 9 months of the year so the last part of our journey is by cable car.
Every year, in November, at Lake Balea, an Ice Hotel is built and remains for the whole season. We spend the night in rooms of ice, sleeping on beds of ice (with plenty of comfort from mattresses, furs, blankets and sleeping bags).See more images and videos

6Day 6Winter activities and Brasov

The Ice Hotel’s facilities include the hotel building, a restaurant and bar, some igloos and a church with inter-confessional services. This morning we can enjoy the area around Lake Balea, going on a walk, ice-skating or renting a snow-mobile.
Later we descend back into the valley and head towards the town of Brasov. Situated at the intersection of trade routes between the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe, and with certain tax exemptions, Saxon merchants of Brasov amassed considerable wealth and exerted power over the region. Fortifications were erected around the city and expanded by various guilds whilst inside the walls buildings sprung over the ages in gothic, baroque and renaissance styles. Cradled by the towering peaks of the southern Carpathian Mountains, Brasov is one of Romania’s most beautiful towns and our home for the next two nights.See more images and videos

7Day 7Brasov and Dracula's castle

This morning we explore Brasov before heading out to the village of Bran and Dracula’s castle.
Built on the site of a Tutonic stronghold perched atop a 200-foot-high rock, with imposing towers and fairy-tale turrets, it’s easy to see why Bram Stoker (who’d never travelled to Transylvania) chose this place as the setting for Dracula’s castle. The character himself, was based on Vlad Tepes, AKA Vlad the Impaler, a Wallachian prince from the 15th Century.
The castle was originally built in the 14th Century by the Saxons of Brasov as a citadel to defend the mountain passes from the Turkish and also served as a royal residence from 1920 to 1948.
We return to Brasov for our final night enjoying the beautifully atmospheric Transylvanian Winter.See more images and videos

8Day 8To Bucharest, trip end.

After a relaxed start we say farewell to the Transylvania and drive the 3 hours back to Bucharest in time for the flight back to London. Those not travelling on the group flights, the trip ends upon arrival at Bucharest Airport.See more images and videos

Your images

Adult Group

This is a small group adult holiday. The group is usually between 4 and 16 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level

You are moderately fit and possess a spirit of adventure. Some previous experience is required for most activity based trips.

What's included

What's included

All breakfasts, 2 lunches, 7 dinners

All accommodation (see below)

All transport and listed activities

Tour leader throughout

Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

What's not included

Travel insurance

Single accommodation (available on request)

Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation details

Hotel and Ice Hotel

We spend six nights in hotels and one night in the Ice Hotel. The Ice Hotel is re-built in November every year from Ice from Lake Balea. In 2013 it was voted as the 2nd best Ice Hotel in the world by Wanderlust Magazine. The rooms are all made of Ice (including the beds) but we sleep comfortably thanks to various mattresses, furs, blankets and polar sleeping bags. Please note that if the weather makes it impossible for to stay in the Ice Hotel we will stay at the nearby Cabana Balea Lac. If the weather closes down the Cable car to Lake Balea, alternative accommodation will be provided.

Essential info

Vaccinations and Visa
No visa required for British passport holders.
There are no specific health risks. Holiday style

This is a cultural trip exploring one of Europe’s most beautiful regions in winter when the snow-covered countryside and quaint medieval towns come together in true story-book style. This is not a particularly active trip, though there are some walks in towns and villages and the opportunity to go ice-skating and snow-mobile-ing at the Ice Hotel. Temperatures are generally quite cold, averaging 0’C in the valleys, though blue skies are common in winter, especially in the mountains. In the valleys mornings tend to be a little more foggy and nicer in the afternoon. Snowfall can happen any time between December and April.

Eating & drinking

All breakfasts, 2 lunches and 7 dinners included on this trip.
Most meals are included on this trip, including all breakfasts and all dinners. During the trip we will have the opportunity to try a selection of Transylvanian dishes which are a mix of Romanian, German and Hungarian cuisine. We also have the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Romanian lunch in Bucharest and a traditional farmer’s lunch in the village of Viscri.
We will also have the opportunity to try some of the local wine which Romania is gaining a growing reputation for.

Trip notes

Download the detailed trip notes for everything you could possibly want to know about this trip, including
detailed itinerary and full kit list

Weather & seasonality

Romania enjoys a continental climate with warm summers and cold snowy winters. Rainfall is usually quite low except in the mountains, spring and summer are the wetter seasons. The weather changes abruptly from winter to summer and spring is generally short. The Carpathian Mountains can be blanketed in snow until mid to late May at higher altitudes. Summer days are often long and warm with ten to eleven hours of sunshine, whilst nights can range from pleasantly warm in the lower valleys to cold at higher elevations. September temperatures tend to be lower than those in July and August but at any time of the year changeable weather with cloud, rain and chilly daytime temperatures can occur. Expect temperatures in the village to be lower than Bucharest.

Gallery

Reviews & community

An excellent winter break. Relaxed but comprehensive itinerary with a competent leader. No tourist crowds &amp; some lovely towns or villages especially Sighisoara. Most meals are included. Food is good, so not a venue for weight watchers. All hotels were very good, particularly Sighisoara

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Dinner in the ice hotel restaurant. Sighisoara.

What did you think of your group leader?

Competent

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I suggest Exodus offer the stay in the Ice Hotel itself as an option at an additional cost. I suggest limiting the stay in Brasov to 1 night &amp; spend the last night enroute to Bucharest in the mountain resort of Sinia

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The evening meal in Sibiel with local music

What did you think of your group leader?

Tomas ,s knowledge of his country was very good, and he imparted a lot of information.
However as tour leaders go, he was not very communicative on practicalities
He gave out instructions in a very haphazard way to whoever happened to be around him at the time.He did not gather us together and tell us times, where we were eating etc etc in a methodical manner, so we had to pick up info as we went along.

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